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Established 2004

Ruddlesden geotechnical

Ruddlesden geotechnical provides ground investigation, geotechnical consultancy and contamination assessment services.

Based in Exeter, but covering the whole of the UK, albeit primarily concentrated in the South West, Ruddlesden geotechnical was formed in 2004.

Ruddlesden geotechnical works on behalf of a wide client base, including local, regional and national housing developers, housing associations, commercial developers, building contractors, structural and civil engineers, architects, building consultants, quantity surveyors, local authorities and private individuals.

Development projects range from single dwellings and extensions to large housing estates, multi-storey flats, offices, industrial units, roads, slopes, schools, hospitals and basements.

The services and projects listed on this web-site provide an indication of those undertaken by Ruddlesden geotechnical, but others are carried out. If your requirement is not readily identifiable on this web-site, please contact us as we may still be able to help you.

  • AGS
  • Constructionline
  • CSCS
  • SMAS
  • ECFC trust

Latest news

Recent projects

  • Latest news

    14 May 2026

    MSc Student to Help with BRE 365 Soakaway Project

    At Ruddlesden geotechnical, we often provide work experience to university students over the summer. This pleases both parties, as it provides them with invaluable industrial experience and a bit of pocket money, and helps us cover staff holidays, as well acting as an extended job interview, should a suitable vacancy arise in the future.This summer, we are particularly looking forward to welcoming Bailey, from the University of Portsmouth, who will be doing his MSc dissertation with us. He will be working and extending on an on-going project of ours. He will be reviewing all of our soakaway testing data and correlating this with the published geology, and then asking the question, and potentially providing the answer: does BRE soakaway testing need to be carried out in certain geologies?We have been reliably informed that he is a GIS whizz and are hopeful that he is what the project needs to take it to the next level.

    MSc Student to Help with BRE 365 Soakaway Project
    MSc Student to Help with BRE 365 Soakaway Project

  • Recent projects

    Multiple Contamination Assessment and Consultancy Services at Holiday Park, Cornwall

    A full range of contamination investigation and assessment services have been provided for a large and on-going holiday accommodation development in Cornwall. The Phase 1 Contamination Assessmentidentified that much of the site was underlain by a former licensed and unlicensed landfill site. The dynamic sampling/ windowless sample boreholes and trial pits, together with contamination laboratory testing, identified the site to be underlain by made ground/ fill, most of which comprised locally derived soil with no significantly elevated levels of contamination; however, localised areas of elevated levels of contamination were identified. A detailed quantitative risk assessment (DQRA) was undertaken, which included bioaccessibility testing and modifying the exposure duration within the CLEA model, to demonstrate that whilst some of the recorded levels of contamination might exceed the generic assessment criteria (GAC) for a standard residential land use, the recorded levels of contamination were unlikely to be harmful to human healthgiven the proposed end use. Particularly high levels of ground gas (methane and ground gas) have been recorded. Long-term gas monitoring and a large dataset has been required to undertake a robust ground gas assessment, where peak and steady flow rates and maximum concentrations, together with groundwater level and atmospheric pressure fluctuations, have been studied in detail to ensure the correct site characterisation and gas protection measure proposals. Continuous client and local authority engagement together with clear reporting have been crucial at this site to ensure that relatively complex issues were understood by all and the relevant planning conditions have been discharged.

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  • Recent projects

    Gas Monitoring for Residential Development in Cornwall

    Ruddlesden geotechnical have been undertaking ground gas monitoring to provide data for a ground gas assessmentfor the proposed residential development of land near Newquay, Cornwall. The Phase 1 Preliminary Contamination Assessment and mining risk assessmentidentified that an Elvan Dyke (coarse-grained igneous intrusion) had previously been quarried within the centre of the proposed development site and that the quarry had subsequently been used as a landfill site and infilled with domestic refuse. As part of the contaminated land assessment, ground gas monitoring wells were installed within windowless sample boreholes, to facilitate the long-term ground gas monitoring. Ruddlesden geotechnical use an infra-red gas analyser to monitor levels of carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and gas flow.

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